Games That Can Make You a Better Strategist

Improving your strategic thinking can be achieved through various types of games that challenge your planning, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Below are some games and game genres that can help you become a more effective strategist.

Board Games

Board games are a fantastic way to enhance your strategic muscles. They require foresight, planning, and tactical decision-making. Here are a few examples:

Chess

Chess is a classic strategy game that requires foresight, planning, and tactical skills. Each player starts with 16 pieces (8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king) and the objective is to checkmate the opponent's king. Planning and anticipation are crucial as each move needs to take into account potential future scenarios.

Go

Go, an ancient board game, is focused on territory control and strategic placement. Players take turns placing stones on the board to create and capture territory. Strategic thinking is key in deciding where to place your stones and how to respond to your opponent's moves.

Catan

Catan is a resource management game where negotiation and strategic expansion are essential. Players collect resources to build roads, settlements, and cities. Effective negotiation allows you to trade resources and alliances with other players, while strategic expansion is crucial in maximizing your settlements and ports.

Risk

Risk is a game of global domination. The objective is to conquer and control territories by land, sea, and air. Long-term planning and tactical maneuvers are necessary to establish a dominant position and eventually conquer the world.

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is a route-building game that encourages strategic thinking to connect cities efficiently. Players draw trains to build routes, which score points based on the distance and importance of the connections. Strategic planning involves choosing which routes to build and negotiating with other players to secure the most valuable connections.

Card Games

Card games are another excellent medium for honing your strategic skills. They require deck-building, strategy, and tactical play.

Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game where players build decks and engage in battles. Effective deck-building is crucial, as well as tactical play during matches. The game requires strategic thinking to balance different card types and adapt to your opponent's strategy.

Hearthstone

Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game that emphasizes strategy and resource management. Players build decks and compete in a turn-based system. Strategic thinking is key in selecting the right cards, managing resources, and planning your turns.

Dominion

Dominion is a deck-building game where players acquire cards that provide various abilities and bonuses. Strategic planning is essential to optimize card combinations and outmaneuver your opponents. Each player starts with a basic set of cards and can purchase additional cards during the game to enhance their strategy.

Video Games

Video games offer immersive and dynamic environments for strategic thinking. Here are some popular video games that can improve your strategic skills:

StarCraft II

StarCraft II is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that requires quick decision-making and resource management. Players must balance worker production, resource gathering, and military engagement to defeat their opponents. Strategic thinking is crucial in positioning units and making split-second decisions.

Civilization VI

Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy (TBS) game where players manage a civilization. Long-term planning and adaptability are essential as you build cities, research technologies, and make diplomatic and military decisions. Strategic foresight is required to plan for future developments and challenges.

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is a tactical game that combines strategy and resource management in a sci-fi setting. Players manage a squad of XCOM operatives to defend Earth against alien invasions. Strategic thinking is needed to plan missions, allocate resources, and adapt to alien tactics.